Murder and the Shifting Sands of Time
by lunamidnight44
Summary: Tradegy strikes on Christmas day at Hogwarts, how will this pull some together and drive others apart?


Late one glorious snowy Christmas when the feathery snow like powered milk fluttered all around a glowing shining Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, Harry Potter woke up to realise that he was in his fourth year of Hogwarts. His best friend, the beautiful fiery red headed Ron Weasley, awoke as well and said to Harry

"Good morning, friend. Did you sleep well" Said Ron, grinning all friendly.

"Hahaha" Laughed Harry, noticing that Ron's hair was sticking up from his long night of sleep before Christmas morning.

"Merry Christmas Dean Thomas" Said Seamus Finnigan as he looked around the bright common room. Gryffindor was the best because on Christmas morning everyone was happy and awake and glad to be there, unlike Sylitherin where on Christmas morning Crabbe would wake up and complain that Malfoy hadn't gotten him a Christmas present. But anyway, life was good in the Gryffindor common room, until Hermione noticed something was wrong. Hermione wasn't actually there right now she was in the girls common room, but a little bit later she came up to visit Harry and Ron and she noticed that it wasn't all quite right.

"Good morning Harry" Said Hermione with a foxy grin. She didn't like Harry in that way though, she much preferred Ron's fiery hair and glowing eyes. Harry had a lot on his mind as well though so he didn't notice. All night long he'd been thinking about the beautiful Luna Lovegood who lived in Ravenclaw and who he didn't know very well, but he thought maybe it would be ok if Hermione liked Ron. Because there was nothing he could really do about it anyway.

"Where is Neville" said Hermione now, and she wasn't grinning any more because she hadn't seen Neville in days. Neville was also in Gryffindor, but sometimes Hermione thought maybe he should be in hufflepuff. But she didn't let that trouble her right now because Neville was missing and she didn't know where he was. So she looked down in the common room and everyone hurried downstairs. Because just right now they noticed something wasn't quite right because Neville was lying on the beautiful ember ruddy lion rug of the Gryffindor common room. And Neville, who had brown hair and brown eyes and had been their friend since first year was lying there and not moving.

"We need to do a spell to fix this right now" Said Ginny, who cared about Neville a lot, and never made mean comments about him ever. Ginny was Ron's little sister. They tried a revivio spell and when that didn't work, Hermione was frantic so she said

"Occulus Repairo" as her usual fixing spell to fix Neville but this time, oh this time it didn't work at all. Because Neville was dead. With four long red scratches on his head and a sword of shimmering bronze lying through his heart. And Hermione openly wept as Ron patted her on the back with one hand and with the other hand he covered his little sister Ginny's eyes to not want her to see Neville looking like this. By then everyone had woken up and someone had called Filtch the caretaker and his cat Mrs Norris who ushered all of the scared students down into the Gryffindor Other Common Room where they could wait to see what would happen next.

The next day the team of Gryffindors many with tears withheld in their eyes went down to the great hall for a breakfast. The whole of the Gryffindor table, usually in splendid red, was dressed in thick sheer black cloth to commemorate the occasion. Draco Malfoy, from the Slytherin table, sauntered over to say hello to Harry Potter, his enemy, rival, and part time friend.

"Look at what I got for Christmas Guys" Said Malfoy, holding up a shining bottle of water "It's special diamond water imported from France that my Parents gave me for Christmas and it is the most expensive thing I own. Hello Harry."

Malfoy often pretended not to like harry but secretly he liked harry quite a lot which is why the next thing he said was

"Look, Harry, we should spend some more time alone just the two of us."

Ginny Weasley, who quite liked harry herself did know exactly what Malfoy was doing and did not like this way things were going one bit at all. So she threw herself at Malfoy and tried to punch him in the face. Malfoy reacted quickly, dodging and weaving and hitting back at Ginny, but not in a way that would really hurt her. Ginny punched Malfoy again and blood sputtered down on him. And then Seamus Finnigan pulled out his wand to try and help and stop the commotion but ended up he pointed his wand at Harry. Harry smelt the smell of burning cloak and looked down at his shoulder to see wispy flames climbing around his clothes. Malfoy took one look at Harry's look of despair and knew what he had to do and without even thinking, he opened his bottle of diamond water and poured it on Harry. The flames went out instantly, and Harry was standing there, looking awestruck at Malfoy, who gave him a half smile.

"That was your present and you didn't have to do that!" Harry said awfully. He felt upset that Malfoy had made such a sacrifice for him.

"Don't even worry about it." Said Malfoy smiling a subtle smile like a sneaky Cheshire cat. "Some people are worth it, Harry."

So then Harry and Malfoy they were in the hospital wing because they were both a bit injured from the fight and Malfoy said to Harry

"I know who killed Neville, it was Pansy Parkinson" And Harry looked at Malfoy with a gratitude because of how he knew it would be difficult for Malfoy to help Harry and give up his own friend. But what Harry didn't know is that actually, it wasn't Pansy Parkinson. Malfoy had said that only in an attempt to help harry and had lied to try and make harry like him more, because Malfoy was starting to really like harry quite a lot.

So then the next day Harry went to find Pansy, and he found her when she was sitting by a gargoyle on the school grounds. Harry was overcome with such a rage and an anger that he grabbed the only thing he had with him at that moment, his beloved Firebolt. And with all the love of Neville and all the sadness in his heart, he started hitting Pansy with the broom and hitting her because of how angry he was. Just then a looming figure loomed down upon them.

"Stop right there!" Said a booming voice. It was Horace Slughorn, the potions teacher. "Harry please do not do this. I know that Parvati did not kill Neville." And Parvati nodded to show that she had not actually killed Neville at all.

"But you know what else" Slughorn continued "I can find who killed Neville right now. Come with me."

So they went to the potions dungeon. And Slughorn, looking devilishly handsome as he smiled with knowing eyes, made a potion. It had lots of ingredients and took a really long time but a little bit later he made Harry look into the potion because it was ready. And Harry could see the murder taking place. He could see who killed Neville.

But they were facing the wrong way and all Harry could see, instead of knowing who it was, was that they had no hair and were bald. "I know exactly who is bald" thought Harry, thinking instantly of Voldemort. Harry just then was overcome with fear as he realised it was time, yet again, to confront Voldemort and find out who was behind such an evil wicked deed.

When Harry found Voldermort alone in the Forbidden Forest, he confronted him about Neville.

"We meet again, Harry Potter" Voldermort hissed contemptuously.

"For the last time. You have gone too far, this time. You killed my friend. And you will pay". Said harry bitterly.

Voldermort looked up in surprise and shock, knowing that he had not recently killed any of Harry's friends.

"It was not me." Voldemort wailed shockingly, making Harry and Hermione cower back in frightfulness.

"But" Harry whispered bravely with determination. "I know it was you because I saw your head that is bald when I saw who murdered Neville.

Voldermort cackled abruptly.

"Foolish Child." He muttered in a slippery tone. "It could not have been me for I have the mark of death upon my head." And he turned around exposing the back of his head to harry. Sure enough, there on the back of his head was a looming sinister skull shape tattooed there.

"You must find someone else who did it." Voldemort advised sagely, sinisterly glaring at Harry. These words trigged in Harry a memory that was long forgotten.

(FLASHBACK)

_Two years ago with Neville in Herbology. Neville had asked if he could confide his deepest secret in Harry, and Harry had accepted. First checking to ensure no one was around, Neville had glanced once at Harry and then pulled off his hair, revealing it to in fact be a wig. Crying tearfully, Neville had confessed to Harry that chronic baldness effected his family and most of all him and his Brother, Siville. Siville's own baldness had driven him away from Hogwarts and everyone close to him. Harry thought maybe Siville's lunacy could be enough to trigger madness and lead him to kill his dear brother Neville. _

Harry lurched back to reality of the forbidden forest. He glared at Voldemort, because even if Voldemort was not responsible for the death of Neville, he had killed Harry's parents long ago. Seeing the rage in Harry's eyes, and hiding his own fear, Voldemort smiled once and then vanished.

"What?" Said Hermione.

"He is gone." Sulked Harry.

"How though? You can't even Apperate on and off the Hogwarts grounds"

"Well" Said Harry, and a realisation overcame him so powerfully that he sank to his knees. "The only way it is possible is if he travelled forward or backwards in time. And that means that I know what happened to Neville. Gather everyone in the Gryffindor common room right now."

"Oh yes, but does it have to be the Gryffindor common room?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. It does." Harry said. And then he smiled triumphantly.

So a little while later a crowd with all the suspects of Neville's murder had gathered in the Gryffindor common room. And Harry said

"Guys. So I can prove who killed Neville."

"Do it." Said everyone.

"Well first of all, it was not Malfoy." Said Harry, glancing at Malfoy who nodded approvingly. He then passed Harry a piece of paper with his phone number on it, and winked. Harry blushed happily but he had more important things to think of right now.

"It was also not Ron, because Ron is not bald." Said Harry, going over to Ron and yanking on his glorious ginger hair. Ron yowled in pain but forgave harry because this was important.

"It could have been Ginny or Hermione, but you've forgotten something important." Harry continued. "For one, no one ever really thought a girl could have done something like this, and also, you are forgetting the sword."

"The sword?" muttered Justin Finch-Fletchley.

"Well it's all rusty, and I saw Hermione and Ginny's hands, and neither were rusty at all. Besides, girls don't often get their hands dirty." Harry continued. Hermione punched Harry's arm, but it was a friendly punch, and she was grinning.

"So that leaves just one person left. And I figured it out as soon as I realised time travel was involved. Come out Neville." And sure enough, Neville the Ghost appeared. Because, Neville, with all his thwarted ambition, had attempted to bring himself back from the dead by first committing his own murder. By going forward in time and stealing a rusty sword and stabbing himself to attempt a complicated 6th year spell that hadn't worked. So everyone was really upset that Neville was dead, but now they knew they had nothing to worry about because there was no murderer living among them. And Nearly Headless Nick said Neville could live with him as the other house ghost. So though it was still pretty sad, and everyone was upset, everything was kind of ok in the end.


End file.
